Twine-making machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

P. G. BECKER. TWINE MAKING MACHINE.

No. 507,100. Patented Oct. 24, 189%.

"NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FREDERICK GEORGE BECKER; 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

TWINE-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,100, dated October24, 1893. Application filed March 1'7, 1893. SerialNo. 466,556. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK GEORGE BECKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTwine-Making Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in twine making machines, in whichthe spindle shaft carryingthespool or bobbin may be readily removed ordisplaced to allow a full spool to be removed and an empty onesubstituted therefor, and wherein the spindle shaft is prevented fromleaving the machine by accident or carelessness after the machine hasbeen started up. The machine thus has safety devices to prevent harmeither to itself or to the operator thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forpermitting the raising of the latch which is usually employed to preventthe withdrawal of the spooling spindle. These objects are attained bymeans of the mechanism shown in the drawings presented herewith and inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a twine making machine with myimprovement attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 8is a detail view showing the slotted latch mounted in vertical ways onthe frame of the machine. Fig. 4 is a modified form of my inventionshowing a pivoted arm or lever mounted on the machine frame and having acurved slot or link made in or on one end thereof. 7 p

In the drawings A represents the frame of a machine, a portion of whichis broken away in Fig. 1 to show gearing which drives thedouble-threaded screw-shaft, which combined with a shifting arm B givesto the spindle O a reciprocating motion, and the said spindle propelsthe spool or bobbin D.

A driving shaft E is mounted at one end of the frame of themachine inbearings secured to said frame and two belt wheels F and F are mountedthereon, one fixed and the other loose. When the machine is at rest thedriving beltruns on the loose pulley F.

Mounted on the shaft E, is a gear wheel G which drives the counter shaftH by means of the pinion I. Upon the said counter shaft H are mountedpulleys J, K and L which drive the pulleys J, K and L respectively bybelt connection, and these pulleys drive the different parts as follows:The pulley J drives t-he spooling spindle C, pulley K the flier D, andpulley L the draft rollers D The twine flier D is mounted in bearings atits ends as shown in Fig. 1. One of the bearing ends of said spindle ismade hollow for the reception of the draft rollers D and the other forthe reciprocating spooling spindle O. This spindle O is made hollow alsoand through it passes the spool supporting shaft 0 and this shaft ismounted in bearings O and 0 A latch M mounted to slide up and down invertical waysN at one end of the frameA is designed to secure the shaft0 in place and prevent said shaft from having an end movement when saidlatch is down; but when raised the shaft is allowed an end movement inorder that it may be Withdrawn from the the machine and said shifter isprovided with the usual shifting fingers S for throwing the belt fromthe fixed to the loose pulley and vice versa.

A lever T is mounted on the end of the frame A by a fulcrum bearing Usupporting the lever between its extremities and to one end of saidlever is pivotally connected a pitman rod V, the lower end of saidpitman being pivotally connected to the upper arm of the bell-crank.

The device described thus far is the same or substantiallythe same asthat pointed out in my United States patent on twine making machines,filed April 12, 1890, Serial No. 347,731, and patented April 18, 1893,No. 495,469, and hence I claim nothing on the mechanism thus fardescribed.

My present improvement then consists of the following describedmechanism, two forms of which are shown, one being simply a modificationof the other: In the first form, the sliding latch M is provided with anindentation or slot m which is cut into the metal but not entirelythrough it. The forward end of the lever T is provided with a pin Twhich is secured at right angles thereto and enters the saidindentation. It may now be seen that if the lever is raised at that endthe latch may be lifted; but if it is lowered the pin T holds the latchdown by bearing upon the bottom of the slot. The modified form of thisportion is shown in Fig. 4 in which the sliding latch M is provided witha pin orlng M on its outer face and the forward end of the lever T isformed into a link W the slot of which is slightly curved to allow thelever to rock on its fulcrum without interfering with the said pin orlug M In either form of my device the slot is of sufficient width topermit the proper movements of the pin therein when the belt shifter isoperated, as well as to permit the movement of the pin therein when thelatch is raised by hand.

The operation of my device is as follows: As shown in Fig. 2 the beltshifter is in position to hold the belt on the loose pulley F and at thesame time the lever T is raised at its forward end to allow the latch tobe raised by hand when desired. When it is desired to again start themachine, the handle P is moved downward, the belt shifter throws thebelt onto the fast pulley F, and the lever T is moved to the dottedpositions of Figs. 3 and 4, which motion thereof will cause the latch Mto descend even if the operator has not previously lowered it toposition. If he has, of course this movement of the lever T does nothingbut look the latch in place.

It will be plainly seen that with either device the latch cannot belifted until the lever T is raised and when said lever is raised themachine is idle by reason of the inevitable shifting of the belt to theloose pulley F.

The advantages of this construction over my former patent, abovereferred to, are: that the latch is looselyconnected with the lever anddoes not carry it in its movements. Hence the latchmay be raised andallowed to stick in place in the ways N without being automaticallydepressed by the weight of the lever as before; and that (with the formshown iii Fig. 3) another pin T of different size may be used, oranother latch may be substituted having a longer indentation for aspooling spindle of larger diameter, or vice versa, or

one in which the indentation extends'completely to and out at the lowerend of the latch whereby the latter will not be aifected by themovements of the lever at all. In my previous patent, to efiect anychange of parts the mechanism had to be disconnected down to the pointof connection between the rod (corresponding with V in the present case)and the bell-crank lever (corresponding with Q) and a new rod entiresubstituted; whereas, in the present instance, the outer end of thelever only is moved laterally-as by springing it slightly or disengagingit from the bearing Uand a new latch only is substituted having anindentation of proper form and size. In the form shown in Fig. 4, theslot in the link W is opposite and in alignment with V the spoolingspindle, so that the latter can be withdrawn through said slot even ifthe latch has been entirely removed; and in Fig, 3, the inner end of thelever at its extremes of movement stands respectively above and belowthe line of said spindle for the same purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a twine making machine, the combination with the spooling spindle,avertically movable latch for securing the same in place, and acentrally pivoted lever having one arm standing adjacent the latch, oneof said adjacent parts having an upright slot in alignment with thespooling spindle and the other a laterally projecting pin extending intoand of less lateral width than said slot; of a driving shaft having fastand loose pulleys, a belt shifter therefor, and connectionssubstantially as described between the other arm of said lever and thebelt shifter, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a twine making machine, the combination with the spooling spindle,a vertically movable latch for securing the same in place, a centrallypivoted lever having one arm standing adjacent the latch, the latterbeing provided with an upright indentation in its face next said arm,and a lug on the arm projectin g into and of less lateral width thansaid indentation; of a driving shaft having fast and loose pulleys, abelt shifter therefor, and connections substantially. as describedbetween the other arm of said lever and the belt shifter for moving thelug end of the lever to points above and below the line of the spindleas the belt is shifted, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK GEORGE BECKER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HARMs, GEo. F. MEYER.

